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Regional leaders, elected officials, and business community members came together to discuss the future of transit in Hampton Roads. The inaugural State of Transit: Transit Means Business Summit was held on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at Hub757, located at 6801 Bridgeway Dr., and was made in partnership with Hampton Roads Transit, Williamsburg Area Transit Authority, and Suffolk Transit. The summit had various industry experts and business leaders discuss the importance of transit, including remarks from keynote speaker Maurice Jones, founder and CEO of MJ Connects and Former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Hampton Roads Chamber President and CEO Bryan Stephens reflected on the event’s “ outstanding “ turnout, noting that attendees received the message “very well.” He discussed the key takeaways from discussions on transit’s impact on Hampton Roads’ workforce development and community.

“Our region relies upon a robust and diverse workforce to drive its economy, and a large portion of that workforce is relying heavily upon public transportation,” Stephens said. “Discussion was had in regards to the importance of an efficient and reliable public transportation system that is able to best support our workforce.”

Another topic discussed was transit’s impact on Hampton Roads’ economy. Stephens expressed the importance of transit’s role on the economy, notably when it comes to the workforce.

“Much of our workforce in Hampton Roads relies upon public transportation to get to and from work,” Stephens said. “It is imperative that Hampton Roads has a robust public transportation system to support our growing workforce, especially in the areas of advanced manufacturing and tourism.”

Stephens expressed his hopes for the future of the State of Transit Summit.

 “I hope that we continue this event, which provides a valuable update on the state of our public transportation systems,” he said. “It brings together regional leaders who collaborate with one another to make our region stronger in a variety of ways, including our transportation.”